Vibratory concrete float

ABSTRACT

The invention is a vibratory concrete float including a body and a vibrator operatively connected to the body, whereby the vibrator provides vibratory forces to the body. The float also includes a removable handle secured to the body with an integrated power source that electrically engages the vibrator when the handle is secured to the body and disengages the vibrator when the handle is removed from the body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/494,200 filed Aug. 12, 2003 from which priority is claimed.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Concrete float devices for “floating” or “troweling” wet concrete are well known in the prior art. “Floating” is the first step in the finishing of concrete and is typically done immediately after screeding. Floating smoothes the surface of freshly poured concrete by depressing large aggregates and knocking down small ridges. For a small concrete pour, hand float devices are used to smooth the concrete surface. Generally, a hand float is a rectangular plate, typically made of wood, secured to a handle. For a larger concrete pour, bull float devices are used to smooth the concrete surface. Generally, a bull float is a large rectangular plate, typically made of magnesium, aluminum, steel or wood, secured to a long handle, typically 4 feet to 16 feet long. To use a hand float or bull float, the operator pushes and pulls the plate back and forth across the concrete surface covering the coarser materials in the concrete and bringing a rich mixture of fine cement paste to the surface, sometimes referred to as “closing up” the concrete.

While the bull float is helpful in floating larger areas of concrete, it cannot effectively reach all the areas of the concrete surface, especially the peripheral edges of the concrete surface adjacent the forms, or where objects protrude upwardly from the concrete, such as pipes, building walls and the like. As a result, it is necessary to use a smaller hand float to close up these areas. Unfortunately, closing up these areas with a hand float requires passing the hand float back and forth over each area several times, substantially increasing the finishing time. Thus, closing up the edges with a hand float is both cumbersome and time-consuming.

Therefore, a hand float that can efficiently close up concrete without several passes, thereby, substantially decreasing the finishing time is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the invention is a vibratory concrete float including a body and a vibrator operatively connected to the body, whereby the vibrator provides vibratory forces to the body. The float also includes a removable handle secured to the body with an integrated power source that electrically engages the vibrator when the handle is secured to the body and disengages the vibrator when the handle is removed from the body.

The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention as well as embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vibratory concrete float;

FIG. 2 is a partial section view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 along A-A;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a charging unit and a handle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a vibratory concrete float.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, an embodiment of the present invention, generally referred to as a vibratory concrete float 1, includes a body 3 secured to a removable handle 5 and a vibrator motor 7.

The body 3 is a generally rectangular plate having a bottom surface 9, a top surface 11, and a peripheral edge 13. In one embodiment, the body or plate 3 is preferably made of magnesium, but other materials such as aluminum, steel, plastic, or even wood may be used. For example, a magnesium plate 3 about 3 inches wide and about 16 inches long having a thickness of about ⅜ inch has worked well. A raised strip 15 for seating the handle 5 is located along the centerline A-A of the body top surface 11. A generally rectangular shaped housing 17 is secured to a distal end of the body 3 to house the vibratory motor 7. The housing 17 includes a top face having an on/off switch 21 for controlling the vibratory motor 7 and a center face having electrical contacts 25 for electrically coupling with the handle 5. The housing 17 is preferably made from a rigid nonconductive material, such as plastic or fiberglass. However, other materials may also be used, such as wood, aluminum, or magnesium.

The vibrator motor 7 is an electric motor having an eccentric mass 8 attached to a rotary output shaft 10 of the motor. The vibrator motor 7 is operatively connected (preferably rigidly mounted) to the body 3 within the housing 17 using a mounting bracket 22 so that during operation the vibratory forces caused by the rotating eccentric mass 8 are transmitted to the body 3. Locating the motor 7 within the housing 17 provides the motor 7 and rotating eccentric mass 8 with protection from moisture and other harmful elements, as well as protecting the operator from injury because of the rotating motor 7 during operation. Preferably, motor 7 is a multi-speed motor having a high and slow speed of operation. The vibrator motor 7 is electrically connected to the switch 19 to turn the motor 7 on and off and to adjust the motor speed. The motor 7 is also electrically connected to the electrical contacts 21 to receive power from a power source, which will be described below. As noted, the vibrator motor 7 is operable at multiple speeds to allow the operator to adjust the vibrations for different applications, such as different types of concrete or materials. The switch 19 allows the operator to select the desired vibration speed for the application. For use in floating concrete, the motor 7 should operate between speeds of 1800 and about 3600 rpm. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the speed of the motor will depend on a number of factors, such as the weight of the eccentric mass, the mass of the float and handle together with any battery carried on the float. One example that has been found to operate well is a float, such as described herein, where the motor rotates at a low speed of about 1800 rpm and at a high speed of about 3600 rpm where the eccentric mass weights about ½ ounce (about 225 grams). While the vibratory motor 7 in FIGS. 1-2 is preferably an electric motor with an eccentric mass 8, other suitable vibration means, such as magnetic resonance vibrators or air powered vibrators as are well known to those skilled in the art, may be used.

The removable handle 5 is U-shaped with each end terminating in a mounting block 23. A bottom face of each mounting block 23 includes a groove 29 for aligning and seating the handle 5 onto the raised strip 15 on the body 3. A power source 25 is integrated within the handle 5 and electrically connected to electrical contacts 27 mounted to a front face of one of the mounting blocks 23 for coupling with the electrical contacts 21 of the housing 17. In the present embodiment, the power source 25 is rechargeable battery. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other types of power sources may be used, including non-rechargeable batteries, or a power cord connected to a 120-volt power source.

To attach the handle 5 to the body 3, the handle 5 is placed onto the top surface of the body so that the grooves 27 seat onto the raised strip 15 and the electrical contacts 29 of the handle 5 engage the electrical contacts 21 of the body 3, thereby providing a power source to the motor 7. Screws 31 are inserted through holes in the mounting blocks 23 and secured to threaded holes in the body to secure the handle 5 to the body 3. To detach the handle, simply remove the screws 31 and remove the handle, thereby, disengaging the electrical contacts 21 and 29. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other methods of securing the handle to the body may be used, such as quick locking tabs, bayonet locks, or snap locks that are conventionally used in securing rechargeable battery packs to hand tools, such as drills and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, after the handle 5 is removed from the body 3, it can be inserted into a charging unit 33 to charge the power source 25. With the charging unit 33 plugged into a standard 120V outlet, power is transferred through electrical contacts 35 in the charging unit 33 through the electrical contacts 27 in the handle 5 and to the power source 25 until the battery is completely charged. After charging, the handle 5 is reattached to the body 3 for use. In this way, the power source 25 can be recharged many times. When the useful life of the power source 25 is exhausted, the handle 5 with power source 25 can be discarded and replaced with a new handle 5 with power source 25.

It should be noted that removable handles with different power sources can also be attached to the body 3. In FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the float 1 shows a handle 5 with an electrical plug as the power source 25. In yet another embodiment, the power source is integrated with the housing rather than the handle (not shown).

In operation, pouring and finishing concrete involves multiple steps. Before pouring concrete, one must first set the forms for holding the concrete and properly align them. Normally, concrete is poured directly from the chute of the ready mix truck, wheeled into place with a buggy, or pumped into place with a concrete boom pump.

Concrete is poured into the forms and spread evenly to place concrete as close as possible to finish level. If necessary, tamping should be done, which is usually required with low slump concrete. A straightedge or screed is guided back and forth across the top of the forms to “screed,” or level, the freshly placed concrete. Immediately after “screeding” the concrete, the concrete surface is smoothed or “floated” with a bull float and/or the vibratory concrete float 1 of the present invention. This step in the finishing operation is the most important in producing a true plane surface and takes place immediately after the spreading of the concrete. It must be completed before excess bleedwater appears on the surface. The purpose of “floating” the concrete is to level ridges and fill voids left by the screeding operation. It should also slightly embed the coarse aggregate to make subsequent finishing operations easier. This is often referred to as “closing up” the concrete.

To operate the vibratory concrete float 1, the operator turns the float 1 on by selecting the appropriate vibration speed using the switch 19. As a result, the vibrator motor 7 starts rotating the eccentric mass 8 and as a consequence, transferring vibratory forces to the body 3. The operator guides the vibrating float 1 over the concrete surface to “close up” the concrete. With the benefit of vibratory forces, the float 1 should “close up” the concrete in one pass over the concrete surface thereby, substantially decreasing the finishing time.

After the concrete has been “screeded” and “floated”, an edger may be used to produce an aesthetic edge, typically on patios, curbs, sidewalks, and driveways. The edger is pressed between the forms and the concrete and guided along the concrete edge and the concrete surface. This produces slightly rounded edges and helps prevent chipping or cracking. If necessary, a “groover” is used to make joints or grooves at specific intervals that help control cracking, referred to as “jointing”.

Changes can be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 

1. A vibratory concrete float, comprising: a body; a handle secured to the body; a vibrator operatively connected to the body and electrically connected to the power source; and a power source for the vibrator, whereby the vibrator provides vibratory forces to the body.
 2. A vibratory concrete float of claim 1, further comprising: a housing attached to the body and enclosing the vibrator.
 3. A vibratory concrete float of claim 2, wherein the housing including electrical contacts electrically connected to the vibrator; and wherein the handle is removable from the body and includes electrical contacts electrically connected to the power source that engage the electrical contacts of the housing when the handle is secured to the body and disengage the electrical contacts of the housing when the handle is removed from the body.
 4. A vibratory concrete float of claim 2, wherein the vibrator is an electric motor having a rotary output shaft, an eccentric mass affixed to the shaft such that upon operation of the motor, the eccentric mass transmits vibratory forces to the body.
 5. A vibratory concrete float of claim 3, further comprising: a switch electrically connected to the vibrator motor that toggles the vibrator motor on and off.
 6. A vibratory concrete float of claim 3, wherein the power source is integrated with the handle.
 7. A vibratory concrete float of claim 3, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.
 8. A vibratory concrete float of claim 3, wherein the power source is an electrical cord and plug for use with an electrical outlet.
 9. A vibratory concrete float of claim 4, wherein the vibrator motor operates at multiple speeds.
 10. A vibratory concrete float of claim 9, further comprising a multiple position switch for operation of the vibrator motor at different speeds.
 11. A vibratory concrete float, comprising: a body; a vibrator operatively connected to the body, whereby the vibrator provides vibratory forces to the body; and a handle secured to the body with an integrated power source housed therein for supplying power to that the vibrator.
 12. A vibratory concrete float of claim 11, further comprising: a switch electrically connected to the vibrator which turns the vibrator on and off.
 13. A vibratory concrete float of claim 11, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.
 14. A vibratory concrete float of claim 11, wherein the power source is an electrical cord and plug for use with an electrical outlet.
 15. A vibratory concrete float of claim 11, wherein the vibrator operates at multiple speeds.
 16. A vibratory concrete float of claim 15, further comprising a multiple position switch for operating the vibrator between different speeds.
 17. A vibratory concrete float of claim 11, wherein the vibrator is an electric motor having a rotary output shaft, an eccentric mass affixed to the shaft such that upon operation of the motor, the eccentric mass transmits vibratory forces to the body.
 18. A vibratory concrete float, comprising: a body; a vibrator operatively connected to the body, whereby the vibrator provides vibratory forces to the body; and a removable handle secured to the body with an integrated power source that electrically engages the vibrator when the handle is secured to the body and disengages the vibrator when the handle is removed from the body.
 19. A vibratory concrete float of claim 18, further comprising: a switch electrically connected to the vibrator which turns the vibrator motor on and off.
 20. A vibratory concrete float of claim 18, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.
 21. A vibratory concrete float of claim 18, wherein the power source is an electrical cord and plug for use with an electrical outlet.
 22. A vibratory concrete float of claim 18, wherein the vibrator operates at multiple speeds.
 23. A vibratory concrete float of claim 22, further comprising a switch that toggles the vibrator between different speeds.
 24. A vibratory concrete float of claim 17, wherein the vibrator is an electric motor having a rotary output shaft having an eccentric mass affixed to the shaft and being rotatable therewith. 